Softball: San Marino's Season Ends in Second Round

Arroyo used its home field to its advantage Tuesday as Paige Medina and Felicia Gonzales each hit inside the park home runs, which were enough to take down San Marino 3-1 in the second round of the CIF-Southern Section Division 5 CIF playoffs.

“In a game like this, we wanted to come out and play with the lead,” Titans coach Hilda Valencia said. “We got what we wanted in that first inning, but pitching mistakes were made later on and it cost us.”

Arroyo’s playing field outfield fence, which wrecked havoc on San Marino’s defense in the fifth inning. Trailing 1-0 with one out in the frame, Gonzales hit an 0-1 pitch down the left field line well past Emily Stenwall. By the time she was able to field the ball, Gonzales was already headed home to tie the game.

Emotions then were running high as Floyd, who finished the afternoon with 11 strikeouts, couldn’t find the strike zone and appeared a bit rattled. After walking Lorena Helguera on four straight pitches, Medina took a 2-0 fastball to right center, splitting the gap between Caitlyn Calahan and Larissa Phillips. All Floyd could do was look on as the ball kept rolling away from the two outfielders, allowing both runners to score at ease.

“Having no fences definitely takes away a whole aspect of the game,” Floyd said. “Sometimes balls can go as far as they can when it’s hit at the right spot. Other times, depending where the outfielder is, balls can be short but can turn into extra bases. It’s a complicated process. But if it weren’t for those two hits and not trying to squeeze the zone, it would have been a closer game.”

“Late in the game we expected them to start coming around,” Valencia said. “This team loves to hit, and it was only a matter of when they would get their timing down. Some pitches weren’t going our way, and Floyd couldn’t find a good way to adjust to the strike zone.”

Offensively the Titans looked as if they were going to make it a long afternoon for the Knights (18-6) as Alexis Watanabe led the game off with an inside the park home run of her own. Jaclyn Wagner later recovered and allowed only one runner as far as second base the rest of the game. She also ended the day with nine strikeouts.

The loss for San Marino (14-9) also marks the final game in Valencia’s career coaching the Titans. After the game she expressed her feelings with the team, remembering her three years she had and was glad to end on a high note, even if it was a playoff loss.

“It’s hard to pull away because this is kind of like my therapy,” Valencia said. “My first year was a struggle, and I knew we would have to build from scratch. I had a great set of assistant coaches, and they were able to put up with the long days, countless hours of practice, and we did it. I am so proud of what the program has become, especially with the support from the parents and the administration.”